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- Water-Year Summary reports summarize a year of hydrologic data in a printer-friendly format.
- For water years 2014 onward, choose a water year and parameter and an on-demand Water-Year Summary report will be generated.
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USGS Water-Year Summary 2024
05489500 Des Moines River at Ottumwa, IA
LOCATION - Lat 41°00'39.05", long 92°24'40.65" referenced to North American Datum of 1983, in SE 1/4 SE 1/4 NE 1/4 sec.25, T.72 N., R.14 W., Wapello County, IA, Hydrologic Unit 07100009, on downstream side of bridge on Chief Wapello Trail (former Colorado and Eastern Railroad bridge) in Ottumwa, 0.5 mi downstream from Ottumwa power plant, 6.5 mi upstream from Village Creek, 9.5 mi downstream from South Avery Creek, and 91.9 mi upstream from mouth.
DRAINAGE AREA - 13,374 mi².
REVISIONS HISTORY - WSP 525: 1917-1920. WSP 1308: 1917-1923(M), 1925-1927(M), 1931. WSP 1438: Drainage area.
Revisions: Gage datum was updated to 621.59 ft NAVD88 on January 3, 2023, as determined by a GNSS Level II survey. Gage datum was previously published as 622.00 ft NGVD29 from levels.
Revisions: Gage datum was updated to 621.59 ft NAVD88 on January 3, 2023, as determined by a GNSS Level II survey. Gage datum was previously published as 622.00 ft NGVD29 from levels.
SURFACE-WATER RECORDS
PERIOD OF RECORD - Discharge records from March 1917 to current year. October 1930 to March 1935, published as "at Eldon". Prior to April 1935, monthly mean discharge for some periods published in WSP 1308.
GAGE - Water-stage recorder. Datum of gage is 621.59 ft above North American Vertical Datum of 1988. Prior to October 1, 1930, non-recording gage 1,700 ft upstream at Market Street bridge at datum 0.83 ft higher; October 1, 1930, to March 31, 1935, non-recording gage 15 mi downstream in Eldon at different datum; April 1, 1935, to October 25, 1963, water-stage recorder 1,100 ft downstream at Vine Street bridge at datum 0.77 ft higher.
REMARKS - Accuracy of records is discussed in the annual Station Analysis archived at the USGS IA Water Science Center. Prior to December 12, 1958, and since November 30, 1960, minor diurnal fluctuations during periods of low and medium flows due to operations of power plant located 0.5 mi upstream. Flow regulated by Lake Red Rock (station 05488100), 48.2 mi upstream, since March 12, 1969.
EXTREMES OUTSIDE PERIOD OF RECORD - Since at least 1850, no flood outside the period of record exceeded the June 7, 1947, stage of 20.20 ft, at site and datum then in use, discharge 135,000 ft³/s. Flood of May 31, 1903, reached a stage of 19.40 ft at Vine Street bridge and datum, or 19.34 ft at Market Street bridge, from information by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and U.S. National Weather Service, discharge about 140,000 ft³/s.
WATER-QUALITY RECORDS
PERIOD OF RECORD - Water temperature beginning April of 2021 to current year.
